Vatican City: Pope Francis will visit the Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan early next year, the Vatican said on Thursday. The pontiff canceled a scheduled trip to the two countries in July because of health problems.

In a statement on Thursday, the Vatican said Pope Francis would go to Congo from January 31 to February 3 and then spend two days in South Sudan alongside the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland.

The Pope, according to the statement, will go to the DRC capital Kinshasa but made no mention of a visit to Goma, the restive part of the vast East African country. After DRC, he will fly to Juba, the capital of South Sudan.

The three leaders had been trying to schedule the visit since 2016, when South Sudanese Catholic, Anglican and Presbyterian leaders visited the pope and archbishop and asked them to go to encourage the peace process. At least 60% of South Sudan’s population, including its political leaders, are Christian.

A statement from Rev. Greenshields’ office said, “The purpose of the visit is to renew a commitment to peace and reconciliation and stand in solidarity with millions of ordinary people who are suffering profoundly from continued armed conflict, violence, floods and famine.”

Peace, unity and reconciliation also are the themes Pope Francis is expected to focus on in DR Congo, a nation rich in natural resources but torn apart by ongoing violence. The theme for the Congo visit is “All Reconciled in Jesus Christ,” which emphasises how more than 95% of the nation’s people are Christian, yet sporadic fighting continues, especially in the eastern and northeastern parts of the country.